RADIO
Willson Contreras Still Under the Weather on Friday
Boston Red Sox first baseman Willson Contreras (illness) is missing a second straight game on Friday in the series opener against the Athletics at Fenway Park due to an illness, per MLB.com. Nick Sogard will make another start at first base for the BoSox while batting leadoff on Friday against A's right-hander Jack Perkins. Contreras was pulled from Wednesday's contest early due to an illness and hasn't played since, but he should be back at some point for the series this weekend against the A's. When the 34-year-old Venezuelan returns, he'll need to be reinserted into all fantasy lineups in traditional formats as one of Boston's best all-around hitters in 2026 in his first year with the team. Contreras is currently batting a steady .288/.395/.540 with a .936 OPS, 23 home runs, 70 RBI, 57 runs scored, and three stolen bases in his 361 at-bats in 2026. Since the beginning of July, Contreras has hit .319 (23-for-72) with a 1.056 OPS, five homers, four doubles, 17 RBI, 16 runs, and a stolen base in 23 games.
Source: MLB.com
Source: MLB.com
Nick Pivetta's Rehab Progression Paused
San Diego Padres starting pitcher Nick Pivetta (right elbow) will have his rehab progression paused for a few days after experiencing tightness during Tuesday's start with Single-A Lake Elsinore. Pivetta threw just 14 pitches before leaving the mound, although he was able to throw another 20-30 pitches in the bullpen afterward. He did not throw his scheduled bullpen Thursday and will not make his next rehab start on time while the Padres determine whether anything needs to change. The 33-year-old has been out since April with a flexor strain after going 1-2 with a 4.50 ERA and 24 strikeouts in 16 innings. Pivetta posted a 2.87 ERA and finished sixth in NL Cy Young voting last season. There is no timetable for his next rehab appearance, so fantasy managers will have to keep waiting.
Source: MLB.com
Source: MLB.com
Emmett Johnson Named as a Faller in Chiefs Camp
The Athletic's Jesse Newell considers Kansas City Chiefs rookie running back Emmett Johnson a faller early in training camp this summer after he was selected in the fifth round in April's NFL draft. Newell likes Johnson's long-term prospects with the organization, but as of now, he has "been a clear fourth in the RB pecking order in practices," behind both Brashard Smith and Emari Demercado. At minimum, KC should have plenty of special teams work for the rookie. Head coach Andy Reid said earlier this week that the team wants to see Johnson keep his pad level lower while running. "You go high at this level, and you're going to get rearranged," Reid said. "And you don't want that to happen." Right now, the Chiefs feel more comfortable with their other depth options at the position behind RB1 Kenneth Walker III. The 22-year-old from the University of Nebraska could make up some ground as camp goes on and in preseason action, but as things currently stand, he's merely a dynasty/keeper stash.
Source: The Athletic - Jesse Newell
Source: The Athletic - Jesse Newell
Hunter Greene To Undergo Right-Elbow Surgery
Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Hunter Greene (right elbow) will undergo surgery after seeking a second opinion, according to Pat Brennan. Reds president of baseball operations Nick Krall said the procedure will involve the area around the ligament, though doctors will not know exactly what needs to be repaired until the operation begins. Greene already underwent surgery in March to remove bone chips and loose bodies from the same elbow before returning July 4. He made only five starts, going 2-2 with a 6.83 ERA, nine walks, and 33 strikeouts in 27 2/3 innings before returning to the injured list Aug. 5. Fantasy managers can move on in redraft leagues. His outlook for 2027 will depend heavily on what surgeons find and the type of procedure ultimately performed.
Source: Pat Brennan
Source: Pat Brennan
Byron Buxton Progressing Slower Than Expected
Minnesota Twins center fielder Byron Buxton (right hip) is progressing slower than expected as he works back from another flare-up of his hip impingement, according to the Minnesota Star Tribune. Buxton is eligible to return from the 10-day injured list this weekend in Milwaukee, but he has yet to resume baseball activities after receiving an unspecified injection last week. The 32-year-old has increased his loading, isometric, and weight-training work and hopes to carry that progress onto the field over the next few days. This is Buxton's second IL stint because of the same hip issue. He is batting .263 with 25 home runs, 45 RBI, 57 runs, and seven steals in 82 games. Fantasy managers should keep him stashed, as there is still no firm timetable for his return.
Source: Minnesota Star Tribune
Source: Minnesota Star Tribune
Oneil Cruz Begins Rehab Assignment Friday
Pittsburgh Pirates center fielder Oneil Cruz (left hand) will begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Indianapolis on Friday, according to Alex Stumpf. Cruz has been out since early June with non-displaced fractures of the fourth and fifth metacarpals in his left hand and was transferred to the 60-day injured list July 18. This will be his first game action in roughly two months. The 27-year-old was hitting .264/.350/.472 with 14 home runs, 44 RBI, 45 runs, and 21 stolen bases in 64 games before getting hurt. Pittsburgh has not announced how many rehab games Cruz will need before being activated. Still, getting him back into competitive games is a significant step, and fantasy managers should continue holding him as he works toward a return.
Source: Alex Stumpf
Source: Alex Stumpf
Jordan Walker Back In Cardinals Lineup Friday
St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Jordan Walker (right knee) is back in the starting lineup Friday against the Colorado Rockies. Walker was scratched shortly before Tuesday's game against the New York Yankees because of right knee inflammation and remained out Wednesday before the Cardinals had Thursday off. The 24-year-old was batting .285 with 22 home runs and 81 RBI when the issue surfaced. He had also collected two hits, including a triple, in Monday's series opener at Yankee Stadium. Walker's return after missing only two games is good news for fantasy managers, who can get him back into their lineups Friday.
Source: MLB.com
Source: MLB.com
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Remains Out Friday
Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (hamstring) remains out of the starting lineup Friday against the Philadelphia Phillies, marking his third straight absence. Guerrero last played Tuesday against the Houston Astros, going 0-for-3 with a walk before sitting Wednesday and Thursday. Manager John Schneider said earlier this week that Guerrero had been dealing with hamstring tightness but did not expect the issue to require a trip to the injured list. The 27-year-old is batting .259 with six home runs and 44 RBI this season. Kazuma Okamoto will start at first base Friday.
Source: MLB.com
Source: MLB.com
Jaxson Dart Looks Much Better in Friday's Practice
New York Giants second-year quarterback Jaxson Dart has struggled early on in training camp while learning the team's new offense under head coach John Harbaugh and offensive coordinator Matt Nagy, but Art Stapleton of The Bergen Record reports that Dart had his best practice of camp on Friday. He looked "much more decisive vs. pressure" and made the "proper reads." The football hit the ground only once on the final drive-the-field period against a mix of first- and second-team defenders. To cap it off, Dart hit receiver Darius Slayton for a touchdown. The 23-year-old former first-rounder from Ole Miss has the high-end dual-threat abilities to become a strong QB1 option for fantasy managers sooner rather than later. He quickly took over the Giants' starting QB job in 2025 and threw for 2,272 yards, 15 touchdowns, and five interceptions in 14 games (12 starts), adding 487 rushing yards and nine touchdowns on the ground to finish as the QB14 in fantasy. New York's expected run-first offense in 2026 could cap Dart's fantasy upside, but at the very least, he should be considered a low-end QB1/high-end QB2 for his rushing upside.
Source: The Bergen Record - Art Stapleton
Source: The Bergen Record - Art Stapleton
George Klassen Recalled To Start Friday Against Marlins
Los Angeles Angels right-handed pitcher George Klassen was recalled from Triple-A Salt Lake on Friday and will start against the Miami Marlins. The 24-year-old gets another shot after a difficult two-start stint in April, when he allowed six earned runs and walked 10 batters in just 4 2/3 innings. Klassen has been much better since returning to Salt Lake, particularly in July. He posted a 2.48 ERA and 0.99 WHIP with 38 strikeouts across 36 1/3 innings and was named the Pacific Coast League Pitcher of the Month. The strikeouts led the PCL during that stretch. Klassen's first trip to the majors showed how quickly his control can unravel, but his recent run makes this return worth watching. He is a risky streamer for Friday and more of a deep-league option until he shows he can throw enough strikes against major-league hitters.
Source: Angels PR
Source: Angels PR
Cam Skattebo Doesn't Return to Friday's Practice After a Collision
New York Giants running back Cam Skattebo (leg) went down in training camp practice on Friday after a collision with linebacker Arvel Reese, according to Jordan Raanan of ESPN. Skattebo was seen stretching his left leg and didn't return to practice, although he stayed on the sideline. It's unclear what the severity of Skattebo's leg injury is, but it's definitely concerning after he suffered a season-ending right-ankle injury as a rookie in 2025 that consisted of an ankle dislocation, an open-tibia fracture, and a ruptured deltoid ligament. The 24-year-old entered camp as a full-go, and all expectations are that he will be the team's RB1 in new head coach John Harbaugh's offense in 2026, which is expected to be more run-heavy. We will closely monitor his new injury, and if it ends up being something that keeps him from playing in Week 1 against the division-rival Dallas Cowboys, Tyrone Tracy Jr.'s fantasy stock will skyrocket. RotoBaller has Skattebo ranked as the No. 20 RB in half-PPR fantasy leagues as he enters his sophomore campaign. UPDATE: Harbaugh said Skattebo's exit from practice on Friday is "nothing serious at all," per The Athletic's Dan Duggan.
Source: ESPN New York - Jordan Raanan
Source: ESPN New York - Jordan Raanan
Marvin Mims Jr. Leaves Friday's Practice With Apparent Injury
Denver Broncos wide receiver Marvin Mims Jr. (undisclosed) left Friday's training camp practice with an apparent injury after pulling up short on a deep-ball route, according to Nick Kosmider of The Athletic. The fourth-year pass-catcher was examined by trainers on the field before being taken to the trainer's room. Any injury that causes Mims to miss extended time would really hurt his chances of securing a key role in the Broncos' passing attack for the start of the 2026 regular season. The former second-rounder in 2023 from the University of Oklahoma had a career-best 39 catches for 503 yards and six touchdowns in 17 regular-season games in 2024, but he regressed last year with a 37-322-1 line in 15 regular-season games, and his path to fantasy relevance took a hit in the offseason when the Broncos traded for speedy wideout Jaylen Waddle. Whenever Mims gets back on the field, he'll be competing with Troy Franklin and Pat Bryant for WR3 duties behind Waddle and veteran Courtland Sutton. At best, Mims is shaping up as a boom/bust deep threat bench stash in the deepest of fantasy football leagues.
Source: The Athletic - Nick Kosmider
Source: The Athletic - Nick Kosmider
Dont'e Thornton Jr. Leaves Practice Early on Friday
Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Dont'e Thornton Jr. (undisclosed) was forced to leave training camp practice early on Friday with an undisclosed injury, according to Sam Warren of The Athletic. It's unclear at this time if Thornton's injury will keep him out for an extended period of time this summer as he competes for the WR3 job with Jack Bech and Malik Benson behind Jalen Nailor and Tre Tucker. After being selected in the fourth round (108th overall) last year from the University of Tennessee, Thornton caught just 10 of his 30 targets for 135 yards and zero touchdowns in 15 games (eight starts) in a pretty dysfunctional offense. It remains to be seen if he'll be in line for a bigger offensive role in Year 2 under new head coach Klint Kubiak, but reports early in camp have suggested that Benson could be leading the competition for the WR3 role in Vegas. The Raiders are expected to rely more heavily on two-tight-end sets in 2026, so as things currently stand, Thornton is a receiver to avoid for fantasy managers in standard-sized 12-team leagues.
Source: The Athletic - Sam Warren
Source: The Athletic - Sam Warren
Titans, Guard Peter Skoronski Agree to Four-Year Extension
The Tennessee Titans and standout offensive guard Peter Skoronski agreed to a four-year, $100 million deal on Friday with $88 million guaranteed that makes him the highest-paid guard in the league, sources told Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network. The 25-year-old was taken with the 11th overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft from Northwestern, and he'll now be locked up long-term as one of the top protectors of second-year quarterback Cam Ward. The move comes after the Titans already picked up Skoronski's $19.07 fifth-year option for the 2027 campaign back in April. He will remain as the Titans' starting left guard for the 2026 season after starting all 48 games that he's appeared in over his first three NFL seasons with Tennessee. Skoronski has not missed a game since the start of the 2024 campaign after playing in 14 games as a rookie in 2023.
Source: NFL Network - Ian Rapoport
Source: NFL Network - Ian Rapoport
Broncos Rookie RB Jonah Coleman Stands Out in Camp on Friday
Denver Broncos rookie running back Jonah Coleman "had the best run of any RB in pads so far this camp" on Friday, according to Cody Roark of Mile High Sports. Head coach Sean Payton has singled out the fourth-rounder from the University of Washington as being one of the team's pleasant surprises early in training camp, and the 22-year-old will have a role in Denver's backfield in his first year in the NFL. However, despite his impressive performance this summer, Roark believes that J.K. Dobbins and second-year back RJ Harvey will get the primary reps and touches in the Broncos' backfield in 2026, with Coleman playing more of the Tyler Badie role as the RB3. At 5-foot-8 and 220 pounds, Coleman will give the Broncos' RB room something they've been lacking: a physical and tough presence between the tackles. But his weekly volume, at least to begin his rookie season, probably will not be there. Payton appears to be leaning towards more of a backfield committee, but that could all change if the oft-injured Dobbins misses more time in 2026. At best, Coleman will be an RB to stash in redraft fantasy leagues as a handcuff for Dobbins.
Source: Mile High Sports - Cody Roark
Source: Mile High Sports - Cody Roark
